Godfrey’s strong effort likely nails down rotation spot

Graham Godfrey called his five scoreless innings of work “pretty satisfying,” and it’s quite likely that allowing four hits and striking out three – no walks – has nailed down one of the last two spots in the rotation for the right-hander. Tyson Ross is the other contender for one of the two spots, with Jarrod Parker and Brad Peacock nominally still in the hunt.

After the game, manager Bob Melvin wouldn’t tip his hand about the final two rotation jobs, saying that, with Ross pitching Tuesday, he’ll wait to make any announcements. So….maybe we’ll find out after Tuesday night’s game, but it’s fairly clear at this point it’s Ross and Godfrey, and probably in that order.

As happy with his evening as he was, Godfrey was even more excited about the A’s defense. Josh Donaldson made a terrific running catch in foul ground in the third, holding onto the ball despite a collision with shortstop Eric Sogard, and the same inning, Jemile Weeks made a great diving stop to his left to rob Melky Cabrera of a hit.

In the fourth, Josh Reddick provided what he called his “stupidity play” in right field, throwing behind Aubrey Huff and allowing him an easy double. He followed that up, however, two batters later, by fielding Brandon Belt’s single to right and throwing Huff out at the plate. Reddick said that was good, because as well as Godfrey was pitching, he didn’t want to have to go back into the dugout hanging his head. Asked if it evened out, Reddick grinned and said, “I think it did.”

Melvin agreed after the game that Reddick’s throw home atoned for throwing behind Huff, and he credited Huff for that one, anyway, at least to some extent, saying that the veteran read the play well. That, Melvin said, can make a fielder “look silly.”

The A’s held a 2-0 lead when Godfrey departed on the strength of a two-run homer by Sogard, who replaced Cliff Pennington in the bottom of the second. Pennington was lifted with what was described as “left groin tightness.” I’d think the team might be cautious with him the rest of this series, then – no need to push it with an important player. Dusty Coleman, borrowed from the minors for this series, might see far more playing time than he’d anticipated.

Jordan Norberto allowed a solo homer by Cabrera in the sixth, then Fautino De Los Santos had a rough seventh. He walked a batter, hit a batter and the Giants scored a run on Donaldson’s error on a bunt. A groundout by Angel Pagan scored another run, and Cabrera singled in one more. That was the only hit De Los Santos allowed in the inning, but his occasional command problems are one reason Ryan Cook might see more time in right-handed set-up duty.

If you hadn’t heard, the Mariners have flipped Jason Vargas and Felix Hernandez on Friday and Saturday – ensuring the A’s also will face Hernandez in Seattle the following week.

That’s kind of what Oakland had been expecting all along, a triple dose of King Felix. The two teams will just be sick of each other period after next week’s games at Seattle. Melvin said they’ll be thinking “good riddance” after that series is done, considering they’ll have played a series at Japan, one in Oakland and one in Seattle in a two-week span. Plus, three spring training games.